6 men plead guilty to S$4.9 million armed gang robbery at King Albert Park house

Two of the men hatched a plan to rob the house after learning that a woman regularly held high-stakes poker games there.

Two of the armed robbers: Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi (left) and Goh Boon Tong. (Photos: Singapore Police Force)

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SINGAPORE: After learning that a woman regularly held high-stakes poker games in her King Albert Park home, two men plotted a gang robbery, hiring muscle from Malaysia and staking out the house before setting their plan in motion.

A total of seven men from Malaysia entered the unlocked house in the dead of night with masks, gloves and weapons, before tying the victims up and stealing a total of S$4.9 million (US$3.9 million) in cash, valuables and cryptocurrency.

They then drove back across the border with the loot in two cars, but most of them were arrested and taken back to Singapore for prosecution. One man remains at large and is believed to have left Malaysia for Thailand, court documents stated.

On Monday (Sep 14), six of the men, all Malaysians, pleaded guilty to various charges, including armed gang robbery.

They are: Wong Chi Shan, 35, Goh Boon Tong, 30, Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, Kartik Palaniappan, 34, Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34.

The prosecution said this was one of the highest-value robberies in Singapore, if not the highest, in nominal terms. A gold bar case in the 1970s would be higher if inflation is accounted for.

In November 2023, Wong and Goh came to know about high-stakes poker games taking place in a house in King Albert Park as they knew someone who had taken part, court documents said.

The stakes ran up to a few hundred thousand dollars, and payment was settled with cryptocurrency, they said.

The two men visited the house and observed that the gate was left open and the wooden door unlocked during the poker game.

About four months later, in March 2024, Wong suggested committing robbery at the house but he knew that they could not handle the scale of the operation on their own.

To get more muscle, Goh hired Hamidon, whom he had met at an event where Hamidon had provided private security. Hamidon ran his own private security firm as well as debt collection services.

Wong and Goh met Hamidon to discuss the operation. Hamidon was to hire men to intimidate and subdue the victims in exchange for RM1.5 million (S$467,000), to be split among his team.

Hamidon obtained a deposit of RM10,000 before recruiting the rest. He did not give specifics to those he approached initially, but they knew it was illegal.

Wong and Goh decided that those committing the robbery would be clad in black, with gloves and ski masks.

On Apr 15, 2024, Wong drove into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint to commit robbery and checked into a hotel. However, despite a poker game ongoing at the house, Hamidon's team was not ready and the robbery did not take place.

Meanwhile, Hamidon's team prepared themselves with black clothing, ski masks, gloves, duct tape and cable ties.

Goh and Wong drove by the house in King Albert Park on Apr 16, 2024 but there was no poker game going on, so they instructed Hamidon's team to remain in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The following night, a poker game was in progress, so Goh and Wong instructed Hamidon to meet them in a car park in Geylang.

Hamidon and his team entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint in a vehicle at 10.45pm on Apr 17, 2024.

They met Goh and Wong at the car park, where they were shown photos of the house and briefed on the entry route. Machetes and baseball bats were placed in Hamidon's vehicle.

Before 2.05am on April 18, 2024, the seven men drove to the house and parked their vehicle outside.

Three of them were armed with machetes, while other two carried baseball bats.

They entered the house, where a poker game was going on, via the unlocked gate and main door.

Those in the house include a female China national who was hosting the game, her husband, a Korean card dealer, and a masseuse hired to massage players.

The robbers encountered a man who had just exited the toilet near the main door. They pointed a machete at him and taped his mouth, wrists and ankles before telling him to sit down in the toilet.

Moving to the living room, the robbers shouted at the victims to put their hands in the air and place their phones on the table.

The fearful victims complied and they were tied up and had their mouths taped while the robbers searched for valuables.

Goh and Wong checked the victims' phones for cryptocurrency applications and discovered sizable amounts of crypto in the hostess' phone apps.

The group carried out crypto transfers to a wallet they controlled, emptied cash from a safe in the living room and ransacked the bedroom.

The seven men then left in their vehicle to another location where they split up with Goh and Wong.

As part of their escape plan, Wong and Goh left in their car via Tuas Checkpoint at about 2.15am while the rest left via Woodlands Checkpoint in a second vehicle at about 2.40am. They arranged to regroup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

They discarded the weapons and clothing used in the robbery along the way.

Meanwhile, the victims managed to free themselves and called the police. They sustained minor injuries from being bound.

Of the S$4.9 million stolen, the Singapore Police Force managed to recover only about S$1.69 million. About S$3.21 million has been lost, said lead prosecutor Dillon Kok.

Wong and Goh also pleaded guilty to other charges involving sex work by Japanese women.

Mr Kok sought various jail terms for the six men, according to their relative culpability, with Wong and Goh pegged at the highest culpability.

The jail terms sought by the prosecution range from the lower end of seven years and eight months to 13 years and one month, with 24 strokes of the cane.

The case is ongoing, with sentencing expected later on Monday.

Wong is represented by Mr Don Tan, while Goh is represented by Mr Thangavelu. Mr James Gomez Jovan Messiah is defending Kartik, while Mr Ariffin Sha represents Hashim. Ms Estelle Tan represents Tauffiq, while Mr S S Dhillon is acting for Hamidon. For armed gang robbery, an offender can be jailed for between five and 20 years and is liable to 24 strokes of the cane.

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其中两名男子得知一名女子经常在家中举行高额赌注的扑克牌局后，便密谋抢劫这所房子。

两名持械劫匪：穆罕默德·陶菲克·艾哈迈德·法兹（左）和吴文东。（图片：新加坡警察部队）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：两名男子得知一名女子经常在国王阿尔伯特公园的家中举行高额赌注的扑克牌局后，密谋实施团伙抢劫，他们从马来西亚雇佣了打手，并在实施计划前对该房屋进行了踩点。

七名马来西亚男子在深夜戴着面具、手套和武器闯入一栋未上锁的房屋，将受害者捆绑起来，抢走了总计 490 万新加坡元（390 万美元）的现金、贵重物品和加密货币。

随后，他们驾驶两辆车带着赃物返回新加坡，但大部分人被捕并被带回新加坡受审。法庭文件显示，一名男子仍然在逃，据信已离开马来西亚前往泰国。

9 月 14 日星期一，这六名男子（均为马来西亚人）对包括武装团伙抢劫在内的各项指控认罪。

他们是：Wong Chi Shan，35岁，Goh Boon Tong，30岁，Mohd Hamidon Ahmed，49岁，Kartik Palaniappan，34岁，Mohd Hashim Ismail，51岁，和Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi，34岁。

检方称，这起案件即使不是新加坡历史上涉案金额最高的，也是数一数二的（按名义价值计算）。如果将通货膨胀因素考虑在内，上世纪70年代的金条抢劫案涉案金额会更高。

法庭文件显示，2023 年 11 月，黄和吴得知有人在国王阿尔伯特公园的一所房子里进行高额赌注的扑克游戏，因为他们认识一个参与其中的人。

他们说，赌注高达几十万美元，而且是用加密货币结算的。

两人来到这所房子，发现打牌时大门敞开，木门也没有上锁。

大约四个月后，2024 年 3 月，黄建议对这所房子实施抢劫，但他知道他们无法独自应对如此大规模的行动。

为了增强安保力量，吴先生雇佣了哈米顿。两人是在一次活动中相识的，当时哈米顿负责提供私人安保服务。哈米顿经营着自己的私人安保公司，同时还从事债务催收业务。

黄和吴与哈米顿会面商讨行动方案。哈米顿将雇佣人员恐吓和制服受害者，报酬为150万令吉（约合46.7万新元），由他的团队成员平分。

哈米顿在招募其他人之前，先收取了1万令吉的保证金。他最初接触的人并没有透露具体细节，但他们都知道这是非法的。

黄和吴决定，实施抢劫的人要穿黑色衣服，戴手套和滑雪面罩。

2024年4月15日，黄某驾车经兀兰关卡进入新加坡，意图实施抢劫，并入住一家酒店。然而，尽管酒店内正在进行扑克牌局，哈米顿的团伙却毫无准备，抢劫最终未能得逞。

与此同时，哈米顿的团队准备了黑色服装、滑雪面罩、手套、胶带和扎带。

2024 年 4 月 16 日，吴和黄开车经过国王阿尔伯特公园的房子，但并没有看到扑克牌局，于是他们指示哈米顿的团队留在马来西亚柔佛州新山。

第二天晚上，一场扑克牌局正在进行，于是吴和黄指示哈米顿在芽笼的一个停车场与他们见面。

2024年4月17日晚上10点45分，哈米顿和他的团队乘车经兀兰关卡进入新加坡。

他们在停车场与吴和黄碰面，吴和黄向他们展示了房屋的照片，并告知了进入路线。哈米顿的车里放着砍刀和棒球棍。

2024年4月18日凌晨2点05分之前，这七名男子开车来到这所房子，并将车停在了房子外面。

其中三人手持砍刀，另外两人则携带棒球棍。

他们通过未上锁的大门和正门进入了屋内，当时屋里正在玩扑克。

屋内人员包括一位主持牌局的中国籍女子、她的丈夫、一位韩国籍发牌员，以及一位受雇为玩家按摩的按摩师。

劫匪们在靠近大门的地方遇到一名刚从厕所出来的男子。他们用砍刀指着他，用胶带绑住他的嘴、手腕和脚踝，然后命令他坐到厕所里。

劫匪们来到客厅，命令受害者举起双手，把手机放在桌子上。

受惊的受害者们被迫服从，他们被捆绑起来，嘴巴被胶带封住，而劫匪则搜刮财物。

Goh 和 Wong 检查了受害者的手机，寻找加密货币应用程序，并在女招待的手机应用程序中发现了大量的加密货币。

该团伙将加密货币转移到他们控制的钱包中，清空了客厅保险箱里的现金，并洗劫了卧室。

然后，这七名男子乘车前往另一个地点，在那里与 Goh 和 Wong 分开了。

作为逃跑计划的一部分，黄和吴于凌晨2点15分左右驾车经大士关卡离开，其余人则于凌晨2点40分左右乘坐另一辆车经兀兰关卡离开。他们计划在马来西亚吉隆坡重新集结。

他们沿途丢弃了抢劫时使用的武器和衣物。

与此同时，受害者设法挣脱束缚并报警。他们因被捆绑而受了轻伤。

被盗的490万新元中，新加坡警方仅追回约169万新元。首席检察官郭迪伦表示，约有321万新元下落不明。

黄和吴还对涉及日本女性从事性工作的其他指控认罪。

郭先生根据六名男子的罪责程度，要求对他们判处不同的刑期，其中黄和吴的罪责最为严重。

检方寻求的刑期从较短的七年零八个月到最长的十三年零一个月不等，外加二十四下鞭刑。

案件仍在审理中，预计将于周一晚些时候宣判。

黄先生的代理律师是唐·谭先生，吴先生的代理律师是坦加维鲁先生。詹姆斯·戈麦斯·乔万·梅西亚先生为卡尔蒂克辩护，阿里芬·沙先生代表哈希姆。埃斯特尔·谭女士代表陶菲克，而SS·迪隆先生则代表哈米顿。持械团伙抢劫罪的罪犯可被判处5至20年监禁，并处以24下鞭刑。

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